The improved female villains regained their memories.

"Go beg that old ghost!" the girl suddenly said. "At worst, I'll work for him for the rest of my life. As long as I can save my mother, I'll sell my life to him!"

A voice suddenly rang in the boy's mind, urgent: "Stop her immediately!"

"No." The boy grabbed her hand. "Don't do this."

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" The girl burst into tears. She was only ten years old, not a real adult yet. "My mother is in this state, I can't just abandon her."

"Mu Rong, Murong, listen to me."

The boy held her in his arms, gently stroking her hair as he said:

"Didn't you say you couldn't stand the fact that foreigners were trading with barbarians? Have you considered that by asking the foreigners for help with this, you might get dragged into their affairs?"

"I……"

“If your mother were here, I don’t think she would want to see you like this.”

The girl's eyes dimmed.

Yes, her mother always taught her to protect her country and never agree to betray her country.

This is why the girl hesitated to work for the foreigners; she didn't want to disappoint her mother.

"Then what do you suggest we do..." The girl hugged the boy, her voice trembling with tears, "My mother, my mother is very ill, I can't live without her."

"Mu Rong, leave it to me."

The boy stroked her hair and said:

"Let me save your mother."

The snow-white halo mesmerized people's eyes.

The girl looked up, tears welling in her eyes, while the boy's expression shifted from high to low, filled with unwavering determination.

That was a tenderness that belonged only to him.

"No matter what, I will save her."

-

From that day on, the frail boy began to work desperately.

The girl could only watch; she stayed at home taking care of the woman and couldn't do anything.

"Take it."

He handed the herbs to the girl and said with a smile, "I'll cook this for your mother tonight."

The girl looked at his scarred hands and held them tenderly, asking, "Where did you get these?"

“This kind of medicine is collected from outside; there are many of them.”

The girl said in a tearful voice, "Let me help you."

"No need, I can manage."

The boy smiled and said:

“This is what I want to do, have you forgotten? I told you on New Year’s Eve, healing the sick and saving lives, this is what I want to do.”

-------

The snow has gotten heavier again.

The boy didn't come all day.

The girl became anxious and went out to search. She looked everywhere—pharmacy, tavern—but couldn't find the boy.

She became furious and took a stick to force the children in the beggar group to help her search, but before she could leave, the boy returned.

She asked him where he had gone, and he smiled slightly and reached out his hand.

The girl reached out her hand, and the boy placed something in her palm.

Those were a few eggs.

“I’ve found another job. I’ve been taking care of your mother these past few days, and you haven’t been eating well. You’re at the age where you’re growing, so eat up.”

The girl wiped the water off her face, nodded vigorously, and said, "Okay."

She decided to repay him in the future, and repay him double.

--------------------

-

The aroma seems to have dissipated.

Su Murong snapped out of her reverie, staring blankly at the sachet in her hand.

"Didn't we agree that I would pay you back double?"

She held it quietly to her chest, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"Idiot."

Chapter 138 Grandfather and Granddaughter

"Heave-ho."

Yang Pingsheng put the last bundle of firewood in the yard, slowly got up, and eased the soreness in his waist.

After chopping firewood and receiving his payment as agreed, Yang Pingsheng walked out of the alley, where Su Murong was waiting for him.

Her small figure stood in the wind and snow, a thin layer of frost covering her gray braids and shoulders. She was carrying a bag of food, and when she saw Yang Pingsheng come out, a slight smile appeared on her expressionless face.

"Are you done?"

"Okay." Yang Pingsheng stepped forward and placed the money in her hand. "Here you go."

"In my life, I..."

"Take it, don't be shy."

Su Murong pursed her lips.

She lowered her eyes, the white snow concealing her dejected heart, yet she still smiled and held Yang Pingsheng's hand.

"I'll pay you back double later."

"Okay." Yang Pingsheng nodded, but didn't take it seriously. Anyway, he was going to leave this world eventually, so he didn't need Su Murong to repay him.

What he needs to do now is find a doctor to treat Su Rouxue's illness.

There is actually more than one physician in Liuyun City.

There are many doctors in the city lord's mansion, but they are exclusively for the city lord's wife and wealthy merchants and nobles. The only doctor the poor can see is Old Money Head, but Old Money Head is greedy for money. Even now, he still hasn't gone to examine Su Rouxue. He won't budge until the money is in place.

The poor cannot afford to get sick, especially the head of the household. If the head of the household falls ill, it is a terrible blow to the whole family. Next to Su Murong's house, there was a family where the man fell ill and the woman cried and screamed. His illness was much more serious than Su Rouxue's. At least Su Rouxue could be cured, but that man could not.

Old Qian loves money, but he's excellent at treating illnesses. After just one look, he says, "There's no hope. Bury him."

A single sentence can decide a person's life or death, regardless of whether the other person's family will be struck by lightning.

He disdains pretense and flattery; all his skills are based on money. If the money is right, even the most notorious devil in hell will be his healer.

However, Yang Pingsheng had no money, and neither did Su Murong.

In this day and age, without money, you can't even save your life.

“Mother’s condition seems to have worsened,” Su Murong said. “She was burning up with fever last night, so hot it felt like she was going to roast me alive.”

The ten-year-old girl didn't know the concept of a high fever and could only try her best to describe it.

Yang Pingsheng had been working incredibly hard to save money, but at this critical juncture, it was probably too late. Su Rouxue's condition had worsened, and the shadow of death was about to engulf her entire body.

The destiny the system spoke of is about to arrive.

"I'll think of a way."

Yang Pingsheng said this and turned to leave.

Su Murong stood there alone, watching his departing figure, the coins in her palm burning hot, making it hard for her to hold them.

How despicable of me!

It is clearly a responsibility that she should bear herself, but now it has been shifted onto someone else.

How despicable I am!

Her mother once told her that one should be upright and have a bottom line and principles, but because of her own incompetence, she ended up dragging another innocent person down with her.

Bottom line or principles are utterly meaningless in the face of poverty.

Su Murong pursed his lips, his eyes dimming slightly.

On his way back, Yang Pingsheng was suddenly greeted by the system. It greeted him cheerfully, like a gossipmonger: "Hey~ working hard to save people today too?"

Yang Pingsheng ignored it and just snorted coldly, "You're not going to help anyway."

The system ignores anything that is unrelated to the plan or the will of Heaven.

The same applies to rescuing Su Rouxue this time. Since it was outside the plan, the system simply decided not to help. It also wanted to see how far Yang Pingsheng could go.

"Su Rouxue's condition has worsened, and you haven't even managed to raise the money for her consultation. What are you going to do?"

Yang Pingsheng has indeed done his best.

Over the past ten days, he tried every possible way to raise money, but in the end, it was all just a drop in the ocean.

It was a holiday, and all the shops were closed. He had nowhere to go to help out, so he could only go door-to-door asking if people needed help and collecting a small fee along the way. It's safe to say that unless he resorted to crime, he would never have been able to raise the money for the consultation before Su Rouxue's condition worsened.

"I have another way."

"Oh? Do you have any other ideas?"

"I still have myself."

"???"

The system seemed a bit off.

Yang Pingsheng stopped talking, the dry, cold air penetrating his lungs, and resolutely walked into the pharmacy.

Inside the pharmacy, the strong scent of herbs filled the room. Old Qian was puffing on his pipe, not even lifting his eyelids when he saw Yang Pingsheng walk in.